Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of clothing and accessory buttons. More particularly, the invention pertains to an interchangeable button system that attaches with a fastener replacing the sewing operation and allowing the facing of the button to be changed quickly, serving decorative or utility functions.
Description of Related Art
It is a very time consuming and fabric-deteriorating task to change the appearance of the buttons which are sewn on garments and accessories. On average, the changing of sewn-on buttons on a garment or accessory occurs once during the lifetime of the garment or accessory, and is mainly for repair purposes. For those who have no knowledge of sewing or users with visual impairment, sewing a button correctly onto a shirt can be extremely difficult.
Therefore, replacing the aesthetic or function of sewn on buttons without the sewing operation to compliment or enhance a garment or accessory in a quick manner is desirable. The garment and accessories industry have long sought an effective quick changing button system and more so, an interchangeable button system that can be applied without sewing.
Interchangeable button covers, detachable buttons and fasteners have taken on a variety of constructions and configurations. There exist many different solutions attempting to solve the above-mentioned problems. However, none of these solutions seemed to have solved the problems in combination or without the use of special tools, creating disadvantages.
The first group of configurations is quickly attachable buttons with pronged fasteners that have shank projections on the back of the button. These kinds of configurations are more commonly seen on heavier denim or outerwear because of the stiffness and support of the shank projections. The pronged fasteners limit flexibility and ergonomic maneuverability for closure of dual layered fabrics, smaller buttons and tighter button holes. This first group may be represented by Perrine, U.S. Pat. No. 485,848, Weiland, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,033, and Lajmerim FR2702342, which all have one pronged fasteners not suitable for button interchangeability.
In Liljendahl, U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,874, a button body has a shank with the added ability for changing the head in conjunction with a locking plate. However, the head and button body limits the coverage options of the interchanging heads and requires a special drive pin along with a locking plate making it a complex task. Furthermore, the hooked shaped projections of the pin heads are partial, minimizing gripping strength when applied to the button body.
There is also known from Thurber, U.S. Pat. No. 136,882, a threaded shank that passes through fabric and screws into a nut on the backside of the garment to anchor the button in place. This assembly requires that a hole be positioned in fabric permitting passage of the threaded shank. This arrangement causes severe wear to the punctured area weakening the fabric over time. In addition, the nut is only stationary when used in conjunction with the threaded shank, creating the possibility of losing either piece when not in use. Furthermore, this process of application is unfavorable for current day manufacturing.
The second group of configurations are attachable button assemblies with a single pronged fastener. In Burgio, U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,980, the entire structure is difficult to dismember and creates the potential for losing all the parts. In Hsiau, U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,766, the serrated prong is exposed when fully inserted into the female element requiring a special tool for cutting off the excess point. This process is time consuming and if done improperly can leave undesired results.
The third group of configurations is changeable button assemblies without fastening devices. These known configurations are generally formed from two elements, specifically a cover and retainer base. In Chaves, U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,187 the button cover snaps in place with the retainer base sewn to the garment by means of a stud. The stud method of sewing is less desirable, not used in a majority of applications and is more susceptible to breaking with a constantly interchanging cover. Similarly, in DeRosa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,510, a button cover of the aforementioned type, is also constructed from a detachable button head and a base section. The button cover slides tightly into registration with a base, interlocking the two pieces. As a consequence of this slide-on arrangement, seams caused by the joining of the button cover and base, lead to an unpleasant and non-conventional button aesthetic. In addition, the smaller the button, the more difficult it would be to accurately register the two parts.
There is also known from Walker, U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,039, a two-piece changeable button structure comprised of a base part and a cap part. The base and cap parts are coupled together by means of interrupted screw threads. The interrupted screw threads pose quite a few disadvantages. Initially registering the flanges to align the interrupted threads is time consuming and can lead to misregistration of the helical thread. Interrupted helical threads are difficult to manufacture and are much easier to damage with constant twisting. In addition, if the cap part is lost, the edges of the interrupted threads can damage fabric and button holes. Furthermore a pointed tool is needed to engage and disengage the interrupted thread elements. This can cause extreme wear if fastened by thread.
Similarly in Sidoti, EP2078469A2, the stationary base and interchangeable cap are coupled together by means of registering the base flaps and cap notches and rotating them into a locked position. Initially registering the base flaps to the cap notches is time consuming, specifically if the base is attached by thread creating an unstable platform. In addition, if the cap part is lost, the edges of the base flaps can damage fabric and button holes.
The fourth group of configurations is button fasteners intended to eliminate the need of a needle and thread for conventional buttons. In Stuart, U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,104, spearheads are compressed through the fabric and into the female element of the button. The spearhead is exposed when fully inserted into the female element requiring a special tool for cutting off or flattening the excess point. In a further embodiment, a locking plate is used. Both processes are time consuming and if done improperly can leave undesired results or change the full appearance of the button.
Also known from Rantfors, U.S. Pat. No. 8,769,775, is a button fastener having a u-shaped penetrating part and a u-shaped receiving part attached to a gripping member. The gripping member is detached by means of rupture once the two u-shaped parts are interlocked. This fastening system couples onto itself independently from any button and is susceptible to greater movement and strain. It is specifically inadequate for an interchangeable button system that is constantly pressured, pulled and torqued in non-standard button requirements. In addition there is high material wastage by discarding the gripping members leading to an inefficient and non-sustainable product for manufacturing.
Further known is Baggerud, U.S. Pat. No. 1,598,597, which discloses a U-shaped barbed loop which is inserted into the face of the button, penetrating the fabric and gripping the lock plate of the button lock. This particular configuration can be frustrating to register and provides no backing to the u-shaped barbed loop for maximum compression. An additional disadvantage is that the barbed loop is relatively difficult to handle due to the fact that the parts must be relatively small.
The prior art does not provide a button system with both interchangeability and fastening which is closest in appearance to, functionality of and ease of use to conventional buttons.